


The Long Way Home

by shanahane



Category: Captive Prince - C. S. Pacat
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Auguste (Captive Prince) Lives, Drama, Light Angst, M/M, Meet-Cute, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-18
Updated: 2020-01-18
Packaged: 2021-02-27 09:15:22
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,778
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22304770
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/shanahane/pseuds/shanahane
Summary: I can find another ride,” Laurent suddenly said.“What? Why?”“I’ve hardly made this fun for you.”“I’m usually bored shitless on my road trips so this is actually an improvement.”“Damen…”“Don’t worry about me, Laurent. I’m happy to help you, okay?”Laurent eyed him for a moment. He apparently came to the conclusion that Damen was being sincere because he replied: “Okay.”OrDamen picks up a hitchhiker. It's always more fun to have company on the road, right?
Relationships: Damen/Laurent (Captive Prince)
Comments: 10
Kudos: 155





	The Long Way Home

**Author's Note:**

> If you suddenly feel like 'Hey... I have read this! *gasp* She is stealing someone's work!' don't worry, I'm stealing my own work. I was re-reading some of my old Glee stories and was suddenly like, huh. With a little tweaking, I can make this work for Damen and Laurent. So I tweaked it a little and here you are. The original can be found here: https://sir-pyllero.tumblr.com/post/76865438825/blaine-picks-up-a-hitchhiker-blaine-26-kurt-19
> 
> WARNINGS! Some profanity, uncle is talked about but there is no detailed discussion of abuse. Romance is really kept at a bare minimum but it's there :)

**Part 1: Damen**

Damen drove past him first. 

One glance at his rear-view mirror, though, and he found himself slowing down. It was pouring and the poor guy’s hunched shoulders spoke of much more distress than the weather. So Damen drove the car to the edge of the road and stopped there, keeping his eyes on the mirror as the boy started to approach him. 

The guy reached him in no time but kept a two feet distance from the car as Damen opened the window. 

“Where are you headed?” he asked. 

“Where are _you_ headed?” the man asked in return. He shivered. 

“I’m driving all the way to LA,” Damen replied. “I can drop you off anywhere between here and there." 

Several warning bells went off in Damen’s head as he said that but the man’s hopeful expression at the mention of Los Angeles was enough to make him ignore them. 

"You’re going to California?” he asked, his teeth chattering. 

“Yeah, I… Oh, for crying out loud, get in the car. You’re gonna catch pneumonia out there." 

The man was wary, which was probably a good thing as it meant he wouldn’t accept this sort of offer from just anyone, but eventually reached out to the handle and slipped into the warm car. 

"So…” Damen started as his new companion threw his duffle-bag to the backseat. “What’s your name?" 

"Ancel." 

"Right. Your real name, please." 

The man glared. "That is my name real name." 

"No, it’s not." 

Damen waited patiently for a couple of minutes - watching as the man played with the ends of his sleeve - until he finally mumbled: ”…Laurent.“ 

"Laurent. My name is Damen.” Laurent nodded ever-so-slightly. “And how old are you?" 

"Why do you need to know?" 

"I’d just like to make absolutely sure I’m not taking a minor out of the state,” Damen replied calmly. “Look, Laurent, I can take you to California if you really want that and as long as you’re old enough, your reasons are none of my business. So, how old are you?" 

Laurent swallowed air before answering: "20." 

"Okay. Cool. I hope you don’t mind rock classics." 

And with that, Damen turned the car back to the road. 

–

"Why are you driving?" 

It was two hours and one playlist later that Laurent talked for the first time. They had just passed Fort Wayne and he seemed a little more relaxed now that they were out of Ohio. 

"Hmm?" 

"Why are you driving all the way Los Angeles? Alone?” Laurent asked. 

“I’m not alone anymore, am I?” Damen said with a small smile. “Okay, well. Truth to be told, I’m terrified of flying.” He laughed a little when Laurent raised his eyebrows. “I’m dead serious. I hate it. I’ve never even been to Europe because the idea of being on a plane for 10 hours is enough to give me a panic attack." 

Laurent nodded slowly. "I’ve never been to Europe, either,” he said quietly. 

“No?" 

"No. I’d love to go to Paris one day, though." 

"Well, I hate to tell you but you can’t hitchhike your way there." 

Laurent slumped back on his seat. "I know." 

He looked so defeated that Damen sort of hated himself for saying that. 

–

"There’s a motel coming up. We should probably stop for the night.”

Laurent sat up a little, his expression unreadable. “S-stop for the night?”

“Yeah. You know. To sleep?” Damen said, looking away from the road for a second to glance at Laurent.

“But there’s two of us. I can drive for a while,” Laurent suggested. He was squirming on his seat.

“I’d much rather sleep in a bed for a full 8 hours,” Damen replied with a shrug.

“Uh… Well, then, if you could just drop me off somewhere, I’ll find another…”

“No way.”

“Excuse me?”

“Laurent, you’re lucky it’s me who picked you up and not some asshole with hidden agendas,” Damen said seriously. “There’s no way I’m letting you take a risk. So either we go to the motel together or I’ll find a bus station and personally buy your ticket and make sure you get on that bus. Clear?”

Laurent swallowed. “How do I know you don’t have any hidden agendas?” he asked. “You just offered to get us a motel room for the night. I’m sorry but that just…" 

"Two rooms!” Damen hurried to interrupt. “We’ll get two rooms. I wouldn’t… Oh, God. Shit. I definitely didn’t mean…”

Damen couldn’t quite get the words out as he was struck by the horror of what Laurent had thought he meant. Thankfully, the guarded look on Laurent’s face had melted into a sheepish one.

“I… I don’t have the money.”

“That’s okay.”

“Damen…”

“Look, you won’t owe me anything. But something tells me you didn’t choose to hitchhike your way across the country just for the fun of it. So just accept my help and enjoy the ride. It’ll be a long one.”

Laurent sighed. “Fine.”

The way he said it really only confirmed Damen’s suspicions more: Laurent was not going to LA to go to Disneyland.

–

Damen half expected to hear that Laurent had checked out and left without him but was happy to see him leaning on the car as he came out of his motel room. 

“Good morning,” he said happily, to which Laurent replied to with a small nod. “I’ll just return my key to the reception and then we can find some breakfast." 

"I got us breakfast,” Laurent said. “I woke up early. There’s a grocery store around the corner so I got us a few things." 

"I thought you said you didn’t have money." 

Laurent rolled his eyes. "I’m not an idiot. I knew I’d have to eat,” he said. “I got coffee, too." 

"Perfect,” Damen smiled, taking the cup Laurent offered him. 

“I’ll just go check out then.”

They were back on the road five minutes later, with Skyfall soundtrack playing in the background. Whether it was because of a good night’s sleep or the fact that the weather was considerably better, Laurent seemed much more eager to talk that morning. He kept the subject on the music rather than saying much, if anything, about himself but Damen didn’t mind nor did he ask anything that could be considered intrusive.

Damen did, however, want to know one thing. 

“What’s your plan?" 

"Hmm?" 

"What are you planning to do when we get to California? Do you have friends there you can stay with?” Damen asked. 

Laurent’s cheeks turned pink. “My brother lives there,” he mumbled. 

“But? I’m sensing a but." 

"But I don’t know if I can stay with him." 

"Why?" 

"Okay, look, I don’t have it all figured out. At the moment I just want to put as much distance between myself and Ohio. I’ll know what to do once I get there." 

Damen’s face must have been an expression of ‘okay well, if you say so’ because Laurent added: "I have to." 

"Want to stop for lunch?” was Damen’s next question. 

–

Laurent was searching for his favorites in Damen’s iPod when his phone started to ring in his pocket. He frowned as he glanced at it but let it keep ringing.

“A friend?” Damen asked, hoping he sounded innocently curious.

“Roommate. Sort of,” Laurent replied. He still didn’t pick up.

“Do they know where you’re going?”

“I left a note.”

The phone kept ringing.

“He probably just wants to make sure you’re all right.”

Laurent huffed. “He wants to know how to work the washing machine,” he said.

He let the phone ring for 15 more seconds before running out of patience. 

“Oh for Heaven’s sake! What, Ancel?”

“I’m fine. No, I have not been kidnapped. What? That’s not even… NO, Ancel, I didn’t elope with a secret boyfriend! I just left.” Laurent rolled his eyes. “Well, why the hell do you think?”

Laurent’s tone was hostile but Damen saw tears shining in his eyes that he stubbornly blinked away.

“I know. I know, Ancel. But I can’t stay there. Please, just… try to understand. Yeah, I know but this could be my one chance to get away from him once and for all. No, I don’t know his number but… I have his address. At least, the address he left when he moved. I don’t know! I’ll find him, I have to, I have nowhere else to go.” Damen was bursting with questions at this point but he swallowed them down because not his business not his business not his BUSINESS…!

“I’ll keep you updated, okay? Please just tell everyone I’m fine I’m sorry and… I’ll…” The pause stretched onto good 20 seconds until Laurent finished with: “…keep in touch. Yeah. Bye.”

He hung up with a long sigh. Damen bit his lip, keeping his eyes on the road as he said: “Uh… If you want to talk… I’m here.”

It sounded lame even to his ears, as much as he meant it.

“Thanks,” Laurent mumbled, probably to just be polite. He seemed to surprise himself even more than Damen when he continued: “I guess I’m being stupid.”

“What do you mean?” Damen asked before he could stop himself.

“I don’t actually even know if my brother lives in Los Angeles anymore. I haven’t seen him for… fuck, 7 years.”

 _Oh_. “…oh… uh...”

“I was so angry with him. Our parents died and I thought he just left me with our uncle. My uncle is a fucking manipulative scumbag, though, he kept feeding my anger by convincing me that Auguste didn't care, that he never tried to reach out to me. I worshipped him because I thought he was the only one I had left. But Auguste did care, it turns out, and he did want to take me with him and the measures my uncle has taken to make sure I never knew about that or tried to reach out to Auguste are frankly ridiculous and now it’s been seven years and… and…"

"...Laurent?“ 

"Stop the car." 

"What…?" 

"Please, just stop the car!” Laurent begged. Damen quickly pulled over, happy he had chosen a smaller road instead of an interstate, and Laurent stumbled out of the door only to drop on his knees onto the dirt. 

“Shit,” Damen breathed out as he struggled to open his seat-belt. “Laurent!” he said loudly as he reached the younger man. “Laurent. Laurent, look at me. Come on." 

Laurent was all but gasping for air, tears spilling on his cheeks. "What am I _doing?_ " 

"Laurent…" 

"What… What am I… I can’t..." 

"Okay, look… No, hey, hey… Laurent. Laurent!” Damen said to try and get Laurent’s attention. “Listen, I’ll drive us to the next motel that comes up, okay? Then you can calm down and clear your thoughts and plan your next move. How does that sound?" 

Evidently out of arguments, Laurent nodded. Damen had to wait for the next few minutes for him to get up, though, and the drive to the motel 20 miles away was silent save for a couple of sniffs. 

Damen checked them into one room with two queen beds. Laurent sat down onto one of them and hugged his knees to his chest. At that moment, he looked much younger than 20. 

"Do you maybe want to call your roommate?" 

"Sort of roommate,” Laurent corrected with a small voice. “And no.” Laurent buried his face into his knees and did not elaborate

–

"Do you think I should go back?" 

Three hours later Laurent had calmed down enough to take a shower and eat a little. Damen had passed time by watching mindless television but pressed mute when he heard Laurent’s question. 

"Do you want to go back?” he asked in return. 

“No. I really don’t,” Laurent said. He sounded more sure than Damen had heard him. 

“Then you shouldn’t." 

"You don’t think I’m insane? I’m into day two of my grand plan and I’m already falling apart,” Laurent said. 

“That doesn’t mean you should turn back if turning back doesn’t feel right,” Damen told him. “Look, correct me if I’m wrong but I don’t think your uncle was exactly a good man.”

"That’s the understatement of the century.”

“So I gathered. Why would you even consider going back?” 

Laurent shrugged. “As I said, for a while I thought he was the only one who cared about me. He made feel special and he made me believe my broken world could be fixed. That he could fix it. And I was too young and heartbroken to see what he was doing and how he made sure I was isolated and what he did wasn’t normal. It took me even longer to realize what he did was not okay.” Laurent let out a shuddering sigh. “It’s just… I left people behind.”

“Your sort-of roommate, you mean?”

“No. He was never… I mean, he’ll be fine. I left people with _him_. My uncle.”

“But that’s not…”

“I tried to get them to come with me. They’re just… They are just still too blinded by him and I ran out of time. I figured I’d… I don’t know. Get my shit together and then go back to help them.”

“You’re not responsible for their choices,” Damen said. 

“One of them is 14, Damen. He didn’t choose anything, he just thinks he did.”

Damen didn’t know what to say to that.

“I can find another ride,” Laurent suddenly said. 

“What? Why?”

“I’ve hardly made this fun for you.”

“I’m usually bored shitless on my road trips so this is actually an improvement.”

“Damen…” 

“Don’t worry about me, Laurent. I’m happy to help you, okay?”

Laurent eyed him for a moment. He apparently came to the conclusion that Damen was being sincere because he replied: “Okay.”

"Do you want a hug?" 

"I don’t do hugs,” Laurent said immediately. 

“Oh…" 

"But yeah I could use one right now." 

Damen crossed the small distance in an instance, enveloping Laurent into an embrace that he hoped said what words couldn’t. 

–

They didn’t check out until 11 the next morning. Laurent typed in the address he had for Auguste on the GPS and Damen pulled to the road with yet another soundtrack in the background. 

“You lost half a day,” Laurent said after 10 minutes of driving. “I’m sorry, you could be almost home right now if it weren’t for…" 

"No, nuh-uh. Stop it. No apologizing. I could have just as easily have chosen not to pick you up,” Damen said. 

“I’m really glad you did." 

"Me, too." 

"No, like… really. I realize I haven’t even said it until now but thank you, Damen. Thank you. For everything. I mean, I was just hoping for a ride out of the state." 

The overpowering gratitude in Laurent’s voice brought a wide grin on Damen’s face.

  
  


**Part 2 - Laurent**

“So, Damen, what do you do for a living?” Laurent asked just as they passed a sign that said WELCOME TO DENVER! According to Damen’s GPS, they had 14 hours left of their journey. 

“I compose,” Damen answered. 

“You compose… what?" 

"Commercials now, mostly. But I’m working on something for a pilot that my brother’s auditioning for so, maybe that’ll be my big break,” Damen explained with an easy smile. “And, you know. The commercials pay the rent so I’m not complaining." 

"Hmm,” Laurent hummed out, impressed. “Anything I might have heard?" 

"Uh, well, let’s see… _Hey, hey, Julia…"_

” _…can you hear me fine? I just called to ask you…“_

” _…will you be my Valentine?“_ they finished the little song together. 

"You wrote that?" 

"Yes?" 

"Oh, my God! Ancel loves that one! He thought it was so cute!" 

Damen blushed, which was oddly adorable. "Well, it did pay for this car,” he said. 

Laurent chuckled, leaning back on his seat. He was feeling much better after his talk with Damen and somehow at that very moment, everything felt like it would work itself out. 

“Okay, now what we’ve established what you do, may I ask if there’s someone waiting for you in LA?" 

"Besides my horribly neglected plants?” Damen said. “No. Unless you count my brother but he’s probably too busy to even notice I’m not home." 

"How’s that even possible? That a kind and charming guy like you hasn’t snatched some supermodel type beauty with a master’s from Harvard or a hunk with a six-pack and an accent that you can’t quite place but makes him sort of exotic?" 

Damen laughed. "Is that the kind of guy you’re dreaming about?" 

"No. But you didn’t answer the question." 

"I don’t know. I’ve been busy with college and trying to make the composing thing really happen and… well. Ugh, that’s such a cliche answer, isn’t it?" 

"Not if it’s the truth,” Laurent said with a shrug. 

“It is the truth. That and also that I’ve tried dating a few people, one of them quite seriously. But in the end, none of them felt like the person I’ve been looking for forever. You know what I mean?" 

Laurent shrugged again. "I don’t think so, I’ve never had a boyfriend." 

"You’re not serious." 

"Of course I’m serious! Did you not listen to me tell you about my circumstances?”

“Well, once we’re in LA, it’ll take no time for someone to notice how amazing you are.”

Laurent blinked. “You think I’m amazing?" 

"Well, yeah!" 

Laurent had to bite the inside of his cheek to keep his smile from being too wide. He felt light and happy in a way he hadn’t experienced in months and he had a funny feeling it had a lot to do with the man behind the wheel. 

"What is your type, then? If it’s not a hunk with a six-pack?” Damen asked. 

“Kind and charming,” Laurent replied without thinking. 

Damen grinned. 

–

“We have one room left and it has a king-sized bed,” the receptionist told them at what would probably be the last motel they’d stay in. LA was only a 6-hour drive away anymore but the two of them had come to a mutual decision not to drive through the night. “We can bring you another blanket." 

"Are you okay with that?” Damen asked over his shoulder and Laurent shrugged in a way that said he didn’t care much. So Damen paid for the room and the two of them got settled for the night before Damen left to get them dinner from the diner next door.

Laurent took his time in the shower, taking advantage of the shampoo that the motel thankfully provided. His muscles relaxed and he felt more like a human again as he dried himself after 20 minutes of enjoying the warm water. 

Damen came in just as Laurent stepped out of the bathroom. “Oh my God!” he moaned out as he smelled whatever Damen had in the containers from the diner. “That smells amazing!" 

"This diner, my dear Laurent, is the reason I always stay in this motel when I drive to Ohio and back,” Damen told him with a huge smile on his face. “Their burgers are the best." 

They ate while watching re-runs of FRIENDS and talking about nothing and everything at the same time. The burgers were indeed the best Laurent had ever tasted but he almost choked on a bite when he caught himself hoping he’d get to have them with Damen for years to come. 

"Whoa, easy,” Damen laughed while patting his back. “I know they’re delicious but don’t eat too fast." 

"I’m fine,” Laurent coughed. 

He was not crushing on Damen.

Not after only three days. 

Not when he had just barely escaped the grasp that was his uncle

Except that he was. No matter what the facts were. 

“Are you sure you’re fine? You look like you swallowed a whole chili,” Damen said, bringing Laurent back from his thoughts. 

“Yeah. Yeah, I’m okay,” Laurent mumbled and took another bite of his burger so he wouldn’t have to say more. 

–

“4 hours and we’re there. Are you excited?" 

"Sure." 

Laurent was nervous as hell, that was the truth. Now that they were so close, the possibility of seeing Auguste again was becoming overwhelming.

"Hey? You okay? You’re rather pale,” Damen said, glancing away from the road for a second or two.

“I… I’m scared he’ll turn me away,” Laurent explained with a small voice. Damen put his hand on his knee, a seemingly harmless movement that sent a jolt all the way up to Laurent’s heart. “I’m sorry, I’m being a downer. You must be happy to be almost back home." 

"I’ve enjoyed the road,” Damen replied with a smile. “But now that we are almost in the magical land of Hollywood, why don’t you tell me what you want to do?”

“What do I want to do with what?" 

"Your life.”

Laurent sighed. "I didn’t think much further ahead than getting away from my uncle and finding Auguste.”

"Well. That’s a start.” 

“Yeah. Hopefully.”

–

Los Angeles was everything people who live there warn you about and at the same time everything Laurent had hoped it would be. He couldn't help but feel awestruck and kept looking out the window, trying to make sure he didn't miss anything.

A new kind of fear was setting in when they got closer and closer to the address where Auguste hopefully still lived. The drive had been safe as Laurent had let Damen take care of everything but it was coming to an end and it was scary how terrifying the thought of that was. 

“Well, here we are,” Damen finally said. The building he parked in front of looked nice enough from the outside. “I… really don’t know what to say right now." 

“Could you come in with me?” Laurent said, too nervous to feel ashamed. “Just - just until I know if…” 

“Of course,” Damen said before Laurent could finish. For a moment, Laurent was sure he looked almost relieved. Together, they got out of the car. 

Laurent’s heart was pounding painfully as they approached the building. His hand was shaking when he pressed the alarm of Auguste’s apartment and even though he tried not to get his hopes up, he couldn’t stop the litany of ‘please, please, please’ that went through his mind. 

“ _Hello?_ ”

Laurent did not recognize the voice that answered. Tears immediately flooded his eyes and he was about to turn away when Damen suddenly said: “Hi there. We’re looking for Auguste?”

“ _Oh! Yeah, uh… Come on up.”_

The door buzzed and Damen opened it, gesturing Laurent to go in. Laurent obeyed, albeit hesitantly, and let Damen walk in front of him. 

They were met by an elderly lady with dark skin and graying hair. She smiled as they approached, and instead of a greeting, she said: “You’re Laurent.” 

Laurent's heart skipped a beat. “Uh… Yeah.” 

“You look just like him. Your brother,” the woman said. “He doesn’t live here anymore but he left me this. Made me swear I give it to the next tenant if I ever moved out. Moved out to the final home, I think he meant,” she laughed. She gave Laurent a piece of paper with a new address on it. "Auguste wanted to make sure you'd find him, even if he moved," she added gently. “It’s about 30 minutes with a car. I can drive you there if you want.”

“Thank you, but he has a ride,” Damen said with a smile. “You’re sure he still lives at this address?”

“Oh yes, he comes by every now and then,” the woman said. “He talks about you all the time. It’s clear he really misses you. He’ll be so happy to see you.”

Laurent nodded, unsure what to say. His emotions had been put through such a roller coaster in only a few minutes, and it had left him drained. Thankfully, Damen seemed to be fine with exchanging a few more pleasantries with the elderly lady before leading Laurent away and back to the car. 

“I can take a cab,” Laurent said but only because he knew Damen would refuse. 

And Damen did refuse: “No. I’ve taken you this far, I’m taking you all the way.”

The afternoon rush hour meant the drive took them closer to an hour. This time, they parked in front of a charming, white house with a porch and a yard. It reminded Laurent of the house they had lived in before his parents had died. 

“Want me to come with you again?”

“I - I think I can do it. Now that I know he does live here,” Laurent said. “But don’t drive away yet,” he added quickly. “I mean, unless you want to, I don’t…”

“I’ll stay here until you’re in the house,” Damen promised. “Can I maybe take you out on a date, though? Once you’re more settled.”

Laurent felt his face heat up. “You want to take me out on a date?”

“If that’s okay, yes.”

“Are you sure?”

“Why wouldn’t I be?”

“You just spent four days with me, you should be happy to be rid of me,” Laurent said. 

“On the contrary, actually. So. Call me?”

And to his own surprise, Laurent nodded. “I will.” After a moment of hesitation, he leaned over the center console to kiss Damen right on the lips. Damen responded eagerly yet gently, and when Laurent pulled away, he was smiling.

"I wanted to do that two days ago," Damen said.

"Yeah?"

"Yeah."

"Why didn't you?"

"I figured you'd appreciate being the one who initiates it."

For a second, Laurent was dumbfounded. How was it possible for Damen to know something like that after knowing for only 4 days?

“I should go,” Laurent whispered. He was almost reluctant. Almost.

Damen nodded. “Good luck.” 

Miraculously, as Laurent walked up to the porch of the house, he felt calmer as if he nervousness has melted into the kiss. He glanced over his shoulder to see Damen still there, smiling at him, and smiled back before pressing the doorbell. 

Again, the door was opened by a woman. Younger, this time, and instead of a kind smile, she greeted Laurent with an “Oh my God!” 

“Hi, uh… I’m…” 

“Honey!” the woman cut him off, calling over her shoulder. “Honey, come here!” 

“What?”

And there he was, after 7 years. His hair was shorter, he had glasses, and his clothes were more conservative than what Laurent remembered him wearing but he was Auguste and Laurent felt himself go weak with relief. 

“Laurent?” 

“Hey…”

“H-how did you…? I mean, what… Wait. No, I don’t care, oh my God, Laurent!” 

Laurent almost laughed when the first thing that popped into his head was ‘thank God he doesn’t smell like Axe anymore’ when Auguste pulled him into his arms. He was still shorter than Auguste but taller than he had been seven years ago, and it was that difference in height that made Laurent’s chest tighten with emotions because they had lost 7 years and they’d never get them back. 

Maybe, however. Just maybe, that didn’t matter. 

“Are you okay?” Auguste asked. He pushed away in order to take Laurent’s face into his hands. 

“I think I will be,” Laurent answered.

“You’ve… you’ve grown,” Auguste chuckled wetly. “I can’t believe you’re here.”

“Me neither, really,” Laurent said. “I missed you,” he choked out. 

“I missed you, too. Oh God, so much. Laurent, I’m so sorry, I tried, I never stopped tr…”

“I know,” Laurent said. “I found the letters. And the emails, and... all of it. I don’t think I know everything and I do want to know everything but for now… Could I maybe just come in?”

“Yes. Yes, of course. This is Amy.” 

Amy smiled brightly at Laurent and instead of shaking his hand, gave him a quick kiss on the cheek. “I’m so happy to finally meet you. We just started making dinner!”

As the door closed, Laurent felt his phone buzz in his pocket. He opened it and wasn’t at all surprised to see a text from Damen. 

_I’m glad it went so well. Call me when you’re ready. Take all the time you need._

Smiling, Laurent texted back. _Thank you for everything. I’ll see you soon._

It was another week and a half of catching up with Auguste later before Laurent did finally call Damen. By then, Damen felt like a bridge between Laurent’s new and old life and as their road trip romance turned into a relationship, facing his old life one more time in order to bring his uncle to justice suddenly didn’t feel like the road to his own death. 

In fact, with Damen, Laurent felt like he would go down any road happily.

**Author's Note:**

> I know the ending is maybe slightly rushed but I hope you liked the story overall anyway. :) If you're like me and still use Tumblr, come say hi :) I you like Glee, go read the original story :D (link in the notes at the beginning). Thanks for reading!


End file.
